Inventions
by escape2neverland
Summary: AU. Pepper want to be free from her ancient castle of rules, school & her father, the king, and wants to experience the new world of inventions, adventure, and fun. Tony is a young inventor that dreams of making the world's best invention & becoming the kingdom's best inventor. With adventure, swordfights, friendship and love, the two worlds' lives will change forever.
1. Introduction

**AU. Princess Pepper want to be free from her ancient castle of rules, school and (not to mention) her father and wants to experience the new world of inventions, adventure, and fun.**

**Tony is a young inventor that dreams of making the world's best invention and****becoming the kingdom'****s best inventor.**** Two worlds will meet when the two experience adventure, swordfights, friendship and love that will change their lives forever.**

* * *

_'P__atricia, you will stay in your chamber and that's final!_" the King's booming voice yells across the hall. Pepper marches to her room and slams the grand doors. She tosses her crown onto her pillow and lies flat on her bed. It was the last and final time she would be speaking to her father again. "That's the umphteenth time he mentioned it!" she exclaims in her room. She gets up and throws a pillow at the window. It opens and in comes the fresh breeze of the outside air. 'Kingdom Air' as what Pepper likes to call it. She quickly stands in front of the window and inhales the glorious scent of the world below her. She could smell the freshly baked bread made by the local bakers on the west, and the hays and grassy fields on the east. Pepper opens her eyes and looks down at the people below her. "It's not fair," Pepper says to herself, slouching on her chair. She gets up and takes one more glance at the kingdom. "Why can't I just take one step," Pepper sighs. "_One step, _into the kingdom? I want have adventures, not boring ancient language classes. I want to have sword fights, not useless fights with my father and most of all," Pepper closes her window and covers it with drapes. "I want freedom, not emprisonment."

Pepper gets out her book that she keeps under her pillow. The book was titled 'World of Inventions, Alchemy and Science'. She opened the book to where she last read, and began to read.

* * *

"Get back here, boy!" the blacksmith brute yelled at a boy running down the streets. He was carrying a basketful of tools and paper flying everywhere. The boy ran through an alleyway and into a small, abandoned barn. He placed the basket onto a big wooden table and plopped onto a stool. "You owe me, Tony," the boy panted. Another boy emerged from the closet, all dusty and sweaty, holding blueprints. "Hey Rhodey, do you think you can get me those steel hammers Blacksmith Gary makes? I heard they're much stronger thank Blacksmith Luke's..."

Rhodey exhaled heavily and looked up at Tony. "Do you realize, what I had to go through, just to get-" Rhodey shook Tony's shoulders. "Blacksmith Luke's hammers?!" Tony, who was still looking at the blueprints, nodded as he went back to the closet. Rhodey's jaw dropped. "I'm gonna take a nap," he exclaimed, turning to the crooked staircase. "A _long_ nap." Rhodey slammed the door. Tony looked out of the closet. "Rhodey? Did you go get the other hammers?" There was a long silence. Tony shrugged, then went back to work. "This is it. This will surely win the King's Invention Competition," Tony said proudly to himself, looking down at his blueprints.


	2. Escape and Naps

There was silence in the King's dining room. The King was eating his steak and potatoes when he glanced at the far end of the dining table. Pepper hasn't touched her food. Her head was sulking down, her hands clasped on her lap. The King grumbled as he sliced another piece of steak. "Patricia, eat your food. You don't want to look like a skinny widow at a funeral, especially on my event this coming week," the King said, taking a sip out of his wine. Pepper kept looking down at her clasped hands. The King placed his cup down and began to cut another piece of a steak, this time with much more force.

"Patricia, if you don't eat your food you will be sent to your room once again," the King said sternly. Pepper looked up at the King, who glared right back at Pepper. She slowly stood up, and began to walk to the exit door. The King threw his knife and fork on the table. "_Patricia you get back here this instant_!" he bellowed across the room. Pepper turned around, eyes blazing with hate.

"I am not hungry!" she stressed. This time the King stood up, and pointed at Pepper.

"You will eat, or else _I will take away your science books_."

Pepper was taken aback. Tears began to form in her eyes. She fitted into a rage. "Is that what you'll do to me all my life? Tell me what to do or else face the consequences? Do I always have to keep living in this-this prison?!" Pepper wiped away a tear. "Did you do this when mother was still alive? Was she sick of it too? Is that why she's dead?" Pepper stopped when she realized what she just said. Thinking her father would scream at her, she raced out the door. Once she was outside of the dining room, she was surprised to hear crying. Pepper slowly turned back and opened the door slightly. She saw her father, hands covering his face. "Marie, I don't know what to do," her father sobbed. Distraught, Pepper shut the door again and reached for something in her pocket. She pulled out a golden locket necklace. As she walked towards her room, she opens the locket. A picture of a woman, with golden red hair and brown eyes, smiled at Pepper. Pepper smiled back and closed the locket.

She opened her bedroom door and picked up her book "World of Inventions, Alchemy and Science". Pepper flipped through the pages, but decides to go to the first page and read the author's note. Pepper never liked reading authors' notes, especially because she thinks it a waste of time, but she decided to anyways. She saw the first page blank. Pepper blinked, then turned to the next page. 'Strange, I thought I scanned through the author's note before,' Pepper thought to herself. Third page, blank. Fourth page, blank. Finally, Pepper forcefully turned to the fifth, page, only to accidentally rip it off the book. Pepper gasped and tried to place it back, but it was no use. She crumpled the paper and through it on the floor. Pepper slouched and stared at the paper. She tilted her head. Seeing black marks on the paper, Pepper got off her bed and picked up the crumpled piece of paper. She unfolded it and read the black marks:

_ "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."_

Pepper stared at the paper. Then she stared at her closed window. She gave a determined look. "Explore," she said to herself as she opened her maid's closet.

"Dream," she said as she grabbed a long, brown coat. Pepper then opened her closet of scarves. She got all the scarves and tied them all into one long rope. She opened her window and gazed at the sun fainting down the hills of her kingdom. Throwing the rope of scarves down, she took a deep breath.

"Discover."

* * *

Rhodey yawned as he climbed down the crooked steps. "That was a great nap," he said as he stretched his arms in the air. Once he reached the last step, he was in complete disbelief. The whole barn was filled with worn out swords, gears from abandoned tractors, tools scattered everywhere and a whole smoke of dust. Rhodey coughed when the dust reached him. He wiped out the dust from his face as he walked up to Tony.

"Tony, the competition is still a few days away, can't you take a nap or something?"

Tony kept on wrenching. "Can't Rhodes," he said, wiping sweat off his brow. He turned around to face Rhodey, who had his arms crossed at his chest, frowning. Tony grinned then turned back to his table. "Just one more minute, Rhodey, and then I'll rest."

Rhodey rolled his eyes and went back to his room, where he would take _another _nap. "I'm too tired to be awake and I'm too tired to go back to sleep," he mumbled as he shut the door.

* * *

Pepper stuck her head out of the castle garden's bushes. She looked to her left, then looked to her right. The sun has already set, and all there was between her and the castle gates were two strongly-built guards and one carnivorous dog. Pepper's skin cringed. 'What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this,' she thought to herself. 'But I must. I have to. I'm sick of living in the castle doing whatever the king tells me to do, I want to be free.'

Suddenly, an aroma filled the garden. Pepper hid close behind the bushes. She saw her chef bring food to the servants who were setting up a dining table outside. Pepper then heard a growl. She turned back to the black animal with the two guards. The dog smelt the food as well. 'Steak,' Pepper giggled to herself. She watched the events unfold. The dog ran straight to the chef holding the pieces of steak, barking and growling. The two guards ran after the dog, trying to calm it down.

Quickly, Pepper found the gate door unguarded. She puts on her hood and swiftly races towards the gate. Once she passed the stone barrier, she heard the two guards yelling.

"Hey you! Come back!" they yelled at Pepper. Pepper widened her eyes and ran straight into the village. As she ran, she looked back to see if the guard were following her. To her horror, the guards _were_: with swords ready at hand. Pepper took a sharp left turn at a crooked alleyway and hid in the shadows. She saw the guards stop at the entrance of the alleyway. They hesitated where to turn, but decided to continue on straight. Pepper panted and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked down at her sore feet. Pepper widened her eyes. Rats were crawling on her feet! She yelped and stepped back, only to be knocked down by dusty wooden crates and stringy spiderwebs. Pepper ran from the alleyway. She ended up on the outskirts of the village. Pepper sat on the dark grass and covered her eyes. Tears began streaming down her face._  
_

"Look at what you've done, Pepper," she sniffed to herself. "You escaped from home, got chased by guards and had rats crawling at your feet for what? Being a stubborn kid."

Suddenly, Pepper heard a sound. Turning around, she squints through the darkness. She rubbed her eyes. The drilling sound was coming from a dimly-lit abandoned barn. Pepper followed the sound. "It must be a person making something out of metal," Pepper told herself. She gasped.

"Or an inventor!"

Quickly, she raced towards the barn. Taking a deep breath, she faced the door of the barn. The drilling sound was loud and clear. Pepper couldn't control her excitement. Slowly taking the broken doorknob, she opens the door slightly.


	3. Dark Spectacles and Brown Eyes

Her eyes widened in amazement. She saw to what seems to be a boy drilling into some sort of metallic arm. His eyes were covered with big dark spectacles and sweat was tracing down his forehead. "He must be putting his whole effort into this", Pepper thought to herself. She jump a little when she heard the boy speak. "Rhodey, I need the hammer!" he yelled over the drilling noise. Pepper opened the door slightly more. 'By the sound of his voice, he must be the same age as me,' Pepper thought. Another boy came in. From the light of the fire, Pepper could see that he was about the same age as her too. He handed the boy in spectacles the hammer. He yawned. "Tony, I think I'm going to head up now to sleep. Don't you go overnight again! You need as much rest so you can when we're gonna present that to the King tomorrow". The boy working on the metallic arm waved him good night as he climbed up the crooked staircase. Since Pepper thought the boy couldn't hear over the drilling, she decided to open the door more widely. The door slamed against a bucket of water that spills over the barn's chickens. They flapped their wings and caused the boy to remove his spectacles and turn around. Pepper gasped and began to run away.

"Hey you!" the boy said sternly. "Come back here!" Pepper raced down an alleyway, only to be stopped by a dead end. She frantically looked for a place to hide, but it was no use. The boy found her, holding a lantern to guide his way. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that. I wasn't eavesdropping I was just curious and there was this crackling sound I heard then I got curious then-" Pepper stopped rambling when the boy came up to her. He had the most bluest eyes she had ever seen. Pepper had to admit, the boy was handsome, but she went back to reality when the boy frowned at her. "Why were you spying on me? Are you one of Stane's spies? Did he tell you to steal my ideas? My blueprints? What does he want?" the boy tried to hold up the lantern to see Pepper's face, but Pepper looked down and shook her head. "I-I know nothing of Stane. As I said before, I was curious".

The boy smirked. "You? A girl? Curious of inventions and alchemy?" Pepper clenched her fist and looked straight up at the boy. She didn't noticed how the boy suddenly gazed at her brown eyes. "Yes, I am a girl, so what? If I'm curious or interested in those types of things, what's wrong with that?" Pepper tugged her hood to cover her face even more and pushed the boy out of her way. She could hear the boy catching up from behind her. "I didn't mean to make you upset, I just thought-"

"That I'm the kind of girl who sews, knits, plays with kittens and squeals when I see a gorgeous boy?" Pepper snapped. The boy brought up his cocky smile, but Pepper huffed. "Look, I am terribly sorry again for disrupting your work, so I'm just going back home," Pepper picked up the pace, but the boy called after her.

"You're interested in inventions, right?"

Pepper halted, not turning back. The boy scratched his head. "Why don't you come back and I can show you my latest one? It's the least I can do. Sorry." Pepper turned around to see the boy waiting. He smiled and nodded his head to show her the way. She followed.

The boy opened the creaking door. He lead her to his table, where a silver, metal arm was placed. She gasped as she picked up the blueprints. She eyed the papers, then back at the arm. "Hey, I forgot to mention it before, but I'm Tony". Pepper turned to face the boy, who was offering a handshake. "Pepper" she responded cheerfully, shaking his hand. Tony laughed. "Pepper? Really? What, is your brother's name Salt?" Tony laughed at his joke, but it slowly died away as he saw the emotionless expression on Pepper's face. Pepper turned back to the arm. "What does it do? Oh, does it shoot arrows? How heavy is it? How much are you selling this for? Will it fit on me?" Pepper tried to lift up the arm, but Tony quickly blocked it. "Ah, it still needs some modifications". She raised an eyebrow at Tony, then looked back at the blueprints. Suddenly, Pepper's stomach growled. She blushed when she realized Tony heard it too. Too her surprise, he didn't laugh. "Hey, are you hungry? Need some food?" Tony walked towards the fireplace and opened a steaming pot of soup. He poured some for Pepper, and handed it to her. She gulped in down in seconds. 'Wow, I never realized how hungry I was since I left the castle,' Pepper thought to herself as she finished the bowl of soup. Tony chuckled as he puts on his dark spectacles and begins hammering. "Where did you come from, the mountain ranges?" Pepper didn't know how she should respond to questions like these. 'Should I tell him the truth? That I'm Princess Patricia Potts, I escaped the castle to find daring adventures and lied to my father, the King? Or should I tell him a little lie?' Pepper was in deep thought, until Tony snapped his fingers. "Hey, answer my question: where are you from?"

Pepper took a deep breath. "I'm Princess Patricia Potts and I left the castle in search for adventure and freedom." Tony stopped hammering. He turns to Pepper with widened eyes.


	4. Promises and Wagons

Pepper smiled sheepishly. Tony stood up.

"You're the princess," Tony stated. Pepper nodded nervously.

"You live in the castle," Tony stated again, pointing out the door.

"And you're the daughter of the King." he concluded. Pepper's palms began to sweat.'_ Stupid Pepper,' _she scolded herself. '_Telling a random stranger you've never met before you're the princess. Why don't you just go tell the whole kingdom while you're at it?'_

Suddenly, Pepper snapped back to reality when she sees Tony laughing hysterically, grasping his stomach as he sits back on his chair.

"Pepper, you-you really know how to make good jokes," Tony said, wiping away a tear. Pepper stood still, her eyes blinking. Tony took notice.

"Hey," his laughter fading. "Are you okay?"

Pepper quickly grinned. "Oh, everything's fine. I guess I'm just a bit tired," Pepper assured him. '_Pepper, go home before he get more suspicious. You've done enough troublesome for the night.' _Pepper thought quickly. Before Tony could speak, Pepper began to walk for the door. "I-I should be heading home now. My father will kill me if he finds out I'm out this late." As Pepper clutched the doorknob, she felt a hand stopping her. She looked up. Pepper saw Tony's sad and tired eyes.

"Will you come back?" he asked. The pair stood silently, locking their eyes on one another. '_Pepper you must say no!'_, Pepper thought. '_You must say-'_

"Yes."

Tony's eyes twinkled with playfulness. Pepper nodded, grinning. "Yes! I will come back... tomorrow! I'll even bring my book of inventions!" Tony grinned and hugged Pepper. Pepper was completely taken aback. She had never had an embrace before by no one other than her mother or even her dictating father. To her it felt warm, and sweet, and... friendly. Pepper never had any friends before, even on the castle grounds. So with this genuine embrace, Pepper decided to hug back, until Tony let go.

"Your father must be worried sick now," Tony laughed. He opened the door for Pepper and waved goodbye. Pepper waved back as she watched the door close shut. Suddenly she ran. Twisting and turning through the crooked alleyways, she desperately looked for a passageway into the castle.

Pepper suddenly heard neighing in the distance. Hiding behind a box of crates, she watched a hay-filled wagon being dragged straight towards the castle. Taking a deep breath, Pepper clenched her fists and ran to the wagon, landing sneakily into the pile of hay. Without the driver noticing, Pepper made it pass the castle gates. As the wagon came to a halt, Pepper quickly got off, heading for the back door.

"Hey!" the driver yelled. Pepper grew stiff. She heard the driver jump off his wagon and walk towards her. Seeing a lantern glowing behind her, Pepper knew he spotted her. Pepper didn't turn around. She knew her hood was still on. He wouldn't know she's the princess if she just ran away, but she can't. She has nowhere to go. But if he did know... she could be in serious trouble.

The driver suddenly took Pepper's shoulder and turned her to face him. Pepper shut her eyes. She waited for the scolding, the shouting and the guards taking her away. But it was silent.

_Too silent_.

Slowly, Pepper opened her eyes. A bright light stung her eyes.

"What were you doing on my wagon, stranger?" the driver roughly asked. Pepper gasped. The driver's voice sounded young. She blocked the light with her hands to look at the man holding the lantern. Pepper's eyes widened. It was a boy about the same age as her. From the lantern light, she could tell the boy has sweat from a hard day's work, from his black uncombed hair to his sticky farming clothing. His eyes drooped with eye-bags as his brows furrowed. From his other facial features, Pepper can distinguish that he didn't have the same cultural background as her. The boy huffed.

"Well, are you going to answer me or do you want to answer those guards over there?"

Pepper opened her mouth to no words. The boy grabbed her arm and started marching to the guards.

"Wait!" Pepper breathed. The boy stopped and looked at Pepper, surprised. He held the lantern close to her hood, but Pepper kept it shut from the light. The boy let go of Pepper's arm. "Who are you?" he asked softly. Suddenly, shouts of guards and neighing horses filled the eerie air. "Boy! What have you got there? A trespasser?" Once the boy turned to the guards, Pepper quickly ran away to the stables, knowing a servants' quarter entrance is at the back. When the boy turned back, he gasped, then snarled.

"The trespasser went that way." the boy pointed as the captain of the guards approached him on his horse, along with two others who followed the boy's finger.

"Very good, boy. Now, how's the work report?" the captain asked. The teen shook his head. "I-I'm fine. Just the usual," he replied tiredly. The captain smiled, not realizing the exhausted expression on the boy's face. "Keep doing your King proud, son. I'm counting on you." The teen faked a smile, getting back on his wagon. They both paused.

"Good night, father," the boy quietly said. The captain ignored the boy and galloped after the other guards. He paused and looked back slightly, watching the boy drive the wagon to the castle stables.

"Good night, Gene."


	5. Candles and Portraits

Pepper slowly opened the kitchen doors. The lights were off. No one was awake. Relieved, she took a quick step into the dark castle. she crept through each corridor one by one as swiftly as she could, until she got to the grand staircase at the main hall. It was dimly lit with only a few chandeliers lighting throughout each endless hallway. Pepper observed her surroundings carefully before she took a step. Amazingly, the main hall was tranquil. Pepper amusingly thought if she dropped a pin the castle would awake and fit into a rage. She observed to her left. From a distance, she saw an unusual faint candle illuminating a small portrait. Curious, Pepper walked towards the table and picked the two items up. Pepper squinted her eyes as she placed the candle over the portrait. She smiled.

It was a portrait of her mother. Her eyes lifted at the delicate features her mother had. Small, delicate hands folded upon her lap. Her hair was tied into a bun, but Pepper knew when it wasn't, it was silky, smooth and more red than the roses planted in her father's south garden. Looking into her eyes was what made Pepper quiver. Her mother's eyes were the most precious features. Pepper always saw a glow in her mother's warm, green eyes. Even when her mother was in serious discussions with members of the council, she would flick a playful smile only Pepper could see in her eyes.

Then tragedy came.

One night, Pepper heard shouts and cries outside her bedroom door. Alarmed, she climbed out of her small bed and hastily opened the door. It was a cataclysm. Servants were rushing past each other, shoving and yelling at others to move out-of-the-way. Water spilled on the floor by a maid who was running with two glasses full. But what caught Pepper's eye was a servant going the other way holding a towel... stained with blood. Pepper's eyes widened. She began to follow the hustling servants. Each of them entered the chamber that horrified the eight year old girl.

"Princess!" a servant cried behind her. "You shouldn't be here!" The servant tried to scoop up Pepper, but her senses moved quicker. Shoving past the servants, Pepper saw her. Her mother.

Dying.

The King was holding her mother's hand close to his heart, heartbroken. Doctors of every type were hustling in the grand chamber, mumbling and hastily working. Pepper sobbed. "Mother?" she cracked. The King abruptly looked up, along with the doctors and servants around him. Pepper saw her mother slowly turn her head to face her, trying to smile. The King frowned and pointed at a servant holding more bloody towels.

"Take her back to her room." the King ordered, his voice hoarse. The servant nodded and came to grab Pepper, but she shoved him away.

"No!" she yelled, holding back her tears. Pepper ran up to her mother, who was smiling weakly. "I'm fine, dear," her mother croaked. Pepper shook her head in despair. This wasn't the voice of her mother. The mother that smiled to greet her in the morning. The mother that played hide-and-seek with her in the garden. No. This wasn't her mother. Pepper tried to hold her hand, but the King took it, squeezing it tight.

"Go to your room," the King growled. Tears began to streak down her face when she saw her mother's eyes close softly. The King took notice and began to shake the Queen. "Moira!" he yelled. Suddenly, a servant grabbed Pepper and began to bring her to her room. The last image Pepper saw was her father sobbing, his head dropped at her mother's side.

Pepper placed the portrait back on the table, trembling. She wiped away the tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, she felt movement behind her. Pepper stood still, holding her breath. _'No Pepper, you've got to face this!'_ she thought to herself. With one sharp turn, the princess crouched down in an awkward defense mode. She blinked when she found no one there. Standing back up from her weak position, she quickly ran up the stairs.

From the bleak darkness under the stairs, a voice quietly smirked.

"The princess has arrived home late," it murmured.

"I wonder why."


End file.
